Parliament Question: Flight Connectivity between Solapur and Shirdi

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 3399 ( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 12th March 2026 ) FLIGHT CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN SOLAPUR AND SHIRDI 3399. MS. PRANITI SUSHILKUMAR SHINDE Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:- (a) whether the Government has assessed the feasibility and passenger demand for introducing direct flight connectivity between Solapur and Shirdi, considering the significant pilgrim traffic between the two cities and if so, the details thereof; (b) whether the existing infrastructure and operational readiness at Solapur and Shirdi airports are adequate for operating scheduled commercial flights in this sector and if so, the details thereof; and (c) the steps taken/proposed to be taken to commence direct flights between Solapur and Shirdi under the UDAN scheme along with the timeline fixed in this regard? ANSWER Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar Mohol) (a) to (c): With the repeal of the Air Corporations Act in March 1994, Indian domestic aviation was deregulated. Airlines are free to induct capacity with any aircraft type and to select the markets and networks they wish to serve. Hence, it is upto the airline operators to introduce air services to/from any airport in the country, depending on their operational and commercial viability. Solapur Airport, owned by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), has been developed under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) -UDAN and was licensed for Category 2C (VFR) operations. The existing infrastructure at Solapur Airport is adequate for operating scheduled commercial flights. The airport infrastructure at Shirdi is designed for Category 4C IFR operations with 24×7 operational capability. RCS-UDAN is a market-driven scheme under which airline operators assess the feasibility of operating on specific routes and participate in the scheme through periodic bidding rounds. The selection of airlines is carried out through a transparent bidding process. If any airline submits a valid bid for the requested routes in a future bidding round, the same may be considered in accordance with the provisions of the UDAN Scheme. ******